Arunachal Congress rejects BJP's claim of winning 2019 polls

Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh): Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Takam Sanjoy has challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) repeated claim of winning the 2019 state assembly elections with a majority.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu, a former Congress MLA, has been claiming repeatedly that the BJP will win in the next assembly elections with a majority, Sanjoy said, and asked if the 2019 election result is a ready-made cake or it would be imported by the BJP?

Charging the Government of Arunachal Pradesh (GoAP) with interfering in state election commission affairs despite being a constitutional institution, delaying panchayat and municipal elections (in Itanagar and Pasighat) with baseless pretext, he alleged that Chief Minister Khandu, state BJP president Tapir Gao, party leaders, landless woman and non-tribals were involved in massive Rs.198 crore land compensation payment for construction of Trans-Arunachal Highway.

This is contrary to the state government's claim of eradicating corruption, he said and asked is it the acche din of BJP?Threatening to launch mass movement against such corrupt practices, he asked how, DLRSO paid Rs six crore to two persons which turned out to be major ghotala (scam). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, MoS (Home) Kiren Rijiju, BJP president Amit Saha and CM Khandu cannot escape from their responsibility in this deep rooted corruption, he alleged.

He alleged that the GoAP has been looting the masses by revising rates of five categories of land ranging between Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 per square meters.The rate was first introduced by Gegong Apang Govt @ Rs.100 and Rs.200 per square meters for residential and commercial respectively.However, the rate was lowered to Rs 1 and Rs 2 respectively at his initiative during Mukut Mithi Govt, he claimed.

The Congress serving the nation since 1947 to free India from the clutch of British rule is a big house for which there could be communication gap among the leaders which should be removed instead of causing disunity, he said.

BJP and Congress parties are like North Pole and South Pole which strengthen Indian democracy but both parties will never come together, he said, adding that any relation between a Congress leader with BJP counterpart would amount to ruining the Congress," he reasoned.

The Congress is in the Opposition for the first time since Arunachal graduated to parliamentary democracy in 1975, reflecting its weakness which calls for the party cadres to awake and walk together to achieve the goal of ensuring Congress victory in 2019, he said.

Sanjoy welcomed the ghar wapsi of former prominent INC and BJP leaders from various parts of the state, saying all should return to their respective areas with a vow to convincing the masses at the grassroots level to join Congress.

"I have been appointed chowkidar of state party and work with commitment for the party," he said. However, he said that similar allegations against Chief Minister Khandu and himself should be thoroughly probed to ascertain truth for which the CM should resign, he said and announced to resign first.

Earlier, APCSD chief organizer Kipa Kaha gave a clarion call to stand united to defeat the divisive BJP which has brought turmoil in this peaceful tribal state.

Hinting at the turncoat principle of party MLAs for switching over to PPA and then to BJP leading to downfall of democratically elected Congress Govt. in the state, he said that time is ripe for the MLAs to come back to the party workers again to justify their strength. He exhorted all to work for the party under the leadership of AICC president Rahul Gandhi keeping 2019 assembly elections in mind.

APCC general secretary Nani Rajan called upon all to rise above petty difference to be identified as Congress worker only to ensure unity.

APYC president Geli Ete claimed that an Ahmadabad-based cooperative bank owned by Amit Saha had exchanged Rs l1, 000, 050 crore old currency notes after demonitaisation for which a CBI probe has been ordered. However, Congress leaders immediately burnt effigy of Amit Saha shouting slogan against him within Rahiv Gandhi Bhawan complex.